There were plenty of expectations on Italy, as one of the host nations, as it kicked off the European Championships, after the coronavirus-induced postponement from last year.

In the opening ceremony in Rome, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed an absorbing rendition of Nessun Dorma, making it seem like an improbable act to follow for the next performer at the Stadio Olimpico.

But the Italian national team, led by its conductor Roberto Mancini, hit the right notes as it strode out on the pitch against Turkey in its Euro 2020 opener. Like their past Italian teams, there was a mandatory, universal approval of this team’s passionate portrayal of the national anthem. But on the pitch, this was an Italian team which many have not been accustomed to on the international stage.

This was no catenaccio, bolting its doors tight and piling bodies on over another to frustrate its opponent. An approach that had served them so well for decades until it failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. This was Mancini’s Italy: unrelenting high-press, full-backs pushing high up into the opposition penalty box, moving the ball at pace with runners in support and squeezing the opponent out with possession. 

This was catenaccio with the ball.

The Azzurri will head into their remaining Group A matches against Switzerland and Wales at the same venue buoyed by a display which delighted the home fans who will crave more of the same.   -  GETTY IMAGES

One of the disappointments for the national team has been how it has not been able to get the best out of Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne, two of the high profile forwards in Serie A. Much like his time with Inter Milan and Manchester City, where Mancini devised tactics to make the most of his attacking talents, the goals have been flying in Azzurri’s blue. Seven of Immobile’s 14 goals and five of Insigne’s nine for Italy have now come under Mancini.

Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne were happy to get on the scoresheet right after, helping the Azzurri score three goals in a Euro game for the first time in their tournament history.   -  GETTY IMAGES

Since Mancini's appointment in May 2018, Italy has scored 82 goals in 33 matches, averaging 2.48 goals per game – the highest for an Italian manager who has coached more than 10 matches in the post World War era.

Midfielders Nicolo Barella and Manuel Locatelli provided the energy and bite to compliment Jorginho’s guile in the middle of the park. Every time Turkey looked to clear the ball out or play out from the back, it invariably found the midfield three in the way to intercept and recirculate the ball for another wave of Italian attack. Italy ended with 61 per cent possession with 24 shots, among which 11 were on target. And midfield maestro Marco Verratti is still to come.

Turkey held firm by closing out the space in behind for a good part of 50 minutes before Italy knocked the door down and ripped it apart. One of the most striking aspects of this team was its pursuit of more goals even after the opening goal which came in the 53rd minute. Full-back Leonardo Spinazolla would spring forward in attack at every opportunity to combine devastatingly with Insigne on the left. Spinazolla had 10 touches in the opposition penalty box, while the whole Turkey starting XI managed just nine in the Italian box. It was a fitting end with Insigne curling the ball into the net in the 79 minute for the third goal, after he floundered a similar move in what was Italy’s first big chance of the night in the opening half.

After a disappointing domestic season with Juventus, centre-backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, at a combined age of 70, were expected to be found wanting in a high line. The pair withstood the challenge as they headed out aerial balls floated towards Burak Yilmaz and restricted Turkey to just a shot on target. With a 3-0 lead in the final minute, Yilmaz was through on goal with only Gianluigi Donnarumma to beat, but there was Chiellini again, to pull off an inch-perfect last-ditch tackle. He rose to his feet and punched the air in celebration as he soaked in the applause of the 16,000 fans in the arena.

This was Italy’s ninth successive clean sheet, which no other Italian team has managed since 1990. "It was important to start well in Rome and I think it's a satisfaction for the public and for Italians," said Mancini.

Italy coach Roberto has rebuilt the side after its failure to qualify for 2018 World Cup.   -  REUTERS

It’s impossible to think of a scenario where Italy will not make the knockouts, where bigger challenges lie ahead. There will be question marks over whether Mancini’s men can sustain this intensity for six more big matches in what has been a physically demanding season. But this win and performance was the right tonic for the morale of a nation that was struck hard in the first wave of the pandemic last year.

"It was a beautiful evening,” Mancini continued. “I hope there are many others, but there are still six more for Wembley."